Direction-indicator for motor-vehicles



G. E. BATES.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MINOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2?, i919.

Patented Jan 4, 19.21.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

m/ENToR.

A TTORN E YS G. E1 BATES.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27 1919.

1,364, 172. A Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTORNEYS UNITED STATS GEORGE E. BATES, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

DRECTIGN-IVECATOR FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Application led August 27, 1919.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Gnoncn E. Barns, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county of@nondaga and State of New York, have invented eertain new and usefulDirection-indicators for ldotor-Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to direction indicators for motor cars which isparticularly simple and economical in eonstructionis readily applied tothe vehicle and 1s readily visible from both the front and the rear ofthe vehicle, and the invention consists in the novel features and in thecombinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

ln describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate `correspondingl parts in allthe views..

Figure l is an eleva-tion of my direction indicator, the same beingshown as ap plied to the windshield of a motor vehicle. I Fig. 2 is anenlarged fragmentary front elevation thereof.

F 8 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view ntaken on line 3 3, Fig. l.

Fig. 4t is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation taken online M, Fig. 3. n

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the caseinclosing the pulley of the handle and contiguous parts. n

Fig 6 is a plan view of parts seen in i This direction indicatorcomprises generally, a support for attachment to any convenient part ofthe vehicle, two members arranged one in front of the other, one memberbeing formed with a cutout and the other having a signal characterthereon and one of said members being movable relatively to the other tobring the cutout and the signal character into registration whereby saidAcharacter is visible through the cutout and out of registration wherebythe character is concealed, and the movable member also having a pointeror arrow, and means for actuating the movable member into differentpositions.

The support may be of any suitable form, size and construction andcomprises a body l having suitable means, here illustrated as alaterally extending arm 2, for connection to the side iron or frame 3 ofthe wind- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. e, 1921. serial no. 320,081.

shield of the vehicle. The support may however be provided with othermeans for attachment to any other part of the vehi'cle.

The body l is here shown as in the form of a hub open at one side andhaving a laterally .or tangentially extending hollow nipple l in whichis mounted a tube 5 and on which is mounted a tube which forms the arm2, the tubes 2 and 5 being similarly attached to the nipple of a hub orcasing '6 with which the handle is associated as will be hereinafterdescribed.

7 and 8 are respectively the two members, and in the illustratedembodiment of mv invention, the member 7 is a background member and isiiXed to the body l of the support on the open side thereof, and themember 8 is mounted on a shaft or arbor 9 journaled in the support, thismember 8 being located on the opposite side of the body to that on which.the background plate 7 is located. The members 7 and 8 are preferablydiscoidal in general form and the member 8 is formed with a marginalcutout l0 and also with an indicator or arrow 1l thereon and thebackground plate 7 is provided on the rear side thereof or on the frontside thereof with respect to the point of view of the obseiver with oneor more signal characters l2 as the word Stop7 or Gof the member 8 beingmov` able by the rotation of the shaft 9 -to bring the cutout l0 intoregistration with the words Stop or Go to make the same visible to theobserver through the cutout and to cover said words Stop or Go by themarginal portion of the member 8 to conceal the words Stop or Go Apointer as an arrow 13 is mounted upon the end of the shaft 9 oppositeto that on which the member or disk 8 is mounted.

rllhe shaft 9 is rotated or moved about its axis by any suitable means,here shown as apush and pull cable or wire lelextending` through the arm2 and through the tube o and winding on one end of a pulley l5 mountedon the shaft 9 within the hub or body l and at its opposite end on asimilar pulley 16 mounted on the shaft 17 of the casing G, the shaft 17having` a suitable handle or knob 18 thereon by means of which it isturned in one direction or thc other. The table or wire let slidablyfits the tube 5 and is prevented from buckling by the tube 5. Hence,upon turning of the handle 18 in one direction as to the left, the cable11 is pushed through the tube 5 and tui-ns the pulley 15, shaft 9, thearrow 13 and disk 8 in one direction, that is to the left and upon theoperation of the handle 18 to the right, the cable or wire 14 is pulledto the right and winds the cable on the pulley 16 and unwinds it fromthe pulley 15. 'ilhis handle may be provided with a suitble indicator orarrow 19 thereon which occupies a position corresponding to that of thearrow 13 and indicator 11 on the disk S.

When the driver of a motor vehicle intends to stop, he turns the handleuntil the arrow 19 points downwardly, this movement positioning thearrow 13 to point downwardly and also rotating the disk 8 so that theindicator 11 thereon points downwardly and the cutout 10 comes intoregistration with the word Stop on the background plate 7.

ililhen the driver of the vehicle intends to turn to the right, he turnsthe knob or handle 18 until the arrow thereon points to the right andthis positions the arrow 18 and the disk 8 so that the indicator 11thereon points to the right and the word Stop7 is covered by the marginof the disk 8. To turn to the left, the operation is substantially thesame but in the reverse direction.

To go straight ahead, the handle is turned until the arrows 19, 13 and11 point upwardly. ln this position, the cutout 10 uncovers the word Gd`deans for illuminating the indicator at night is provided and in theillustrated form of my invention l have shown a single lamp arranged toilluminate both the front face of the background plate 7 and face of thedisk S. j

20 designatesa lamp bracket having a base flange 21 mounted on the arm 2and secured thereto as presently described, the bracket carrying a.suitable socket at its outer end for the lamp 22 and also carrying alight reflector 23, the light reflector extending far enough forwardlyand rearwardly to project the light so that the arrow 13 is clearlyvisible at night. y

Also a suitablemirrorscope 24 may be mounted on the arm 2 and adjustablealong the same and at different angles, it being connected to the arm 2by a universal joint 25 which permits such adjustment. The part 2C ofsuch joint which part is mounted on the arm 2, is formedwith a hub 27 onthe arm and the base flange 21 of the lamp bracket extends into the huband is clamped thereby on the arm 2.l rl`his hub may be a split clamp ormay be of one piece sleeve held in position by a set screw.

The arm 2 is also connected to the case 6 by an adjustable joint whichpermits the arm 2 to be so adjusted that the disks 7 and 8 are arrangedin vertical planes irrespective of the slant of the windshield. Asillustrated, the arm is movable about the axis of the nipple of the caseG and is held in its adjusted position in any suitable manner as by aset screw 28.

The case here illustrated is secured to the windshield by a clamp 30.

This direction indicator is particularly advantageous in that it isclearly visible at all times from front or rear of the vehicle.

A suitable housing may be provided around. the edges of the disks 7, 8but owing to the construction of the hub 2 which is ypracticallywatertight and weather-proof no housing is necessary.

What l claim is:

1. A direction indicator for motor vehicles including front and rearback ground disks arranged in vertical transverse planes so as to faceforward and rearward and be disposed at all times to view from the frontand rear, one of the disks being stationary and the other being movableabout its aXis, an indicator appearing' on the latter disk and movabletherewith, a pointer movable over the face of the stationary disk, andmeans for operating? the pointer and the movable disk.

2. A direction indicator for motor vehicles including front and rearback ground disks arranged in vertical transverse planes so as to faceforward and rearward and be dis V)osed at all times to view from thefront and rear, one of the disks being stationary and the other beingmovable about its axis, and having a marginal cut out portion arrangedto expose a portion of the stationary disk to display a signal in apredetermined position, of a movable disk, an indicator appearing on thelatter disk and movable therewith, a pointer movable over the face ofthe stationary disk, and means for operating the pointer and the movabledisk.

A. direction indicator for motor vehicles including front and rearmovable indicating members mounted for rotary movement and operating invertical" transverse planes so as to face forward and rearward and bedisposed at all times to view from the front and rear, the rearindicating member having a marginal cutiout portion, a station ary plateor member arranged between the said movable members and bearing at itsrear face, a signal arranged to be exposed by the cut out portion of therear member in a predetermined position of the latter and means foroperating the movable members.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, inthe county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 11th day of August.1919.

GEORGE E. BATES.

